When I told my friend Betsy Goldstein (superb cook, food lover, and Once Upon a Chef right hand) about these salmon cakes, she said, “Hmmm…I think I’ll wait until some of the reviews roll in to try those.” I laughed because I knew immediately that she was thinking of the salmon cakes made from canned salmon that many of us grew up on. I promise – these are an entirely different dish! Made from fresh raw salmon and seasoned with Old Bay (naturally…I’m a proud Marylander), they’re as elegant as crab cakes but much more affordable to make. You can throw them together on a busy weeknight or serve them to company. And, as a bonus, they can be made entirely ahead of time and reheated. I love them best atop a green salad with a dollop of tartar sauce, but they’re also delicious alongside rice pilaf and a vegetable.
To begin, finely dice the salmon into 1/4-inch pieces (or smaller). It’s important that the pieces are not too large or the cakes won’t bind together easily.
Set the salmon aside and, in a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay, salt, and pepper.
Whisk to combine.
Add the diced salmon, ¼ cup of the panko, the scallions, the celery, and the dill.
Gently mix until uniformly combined.
Place the remaining 1 cup of panko in a shallow dish or pie plate.
Using a 1/3-cup measure, scoop the salmon mixture and form into a compact cake about 1 inch high. Place the salmon cake into the reserved panko and gently coat it all over in crumbs.
Repeat with the remaining mixture to form about 9 cakes. (At this point, you can refrigerate the salmon cakes for up to a few hours before cooking, if you’d like.)
Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the salmon cakes in the skillet and cook without moving until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Carefully flip the cakes and cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Reduce the heat to medium if the cakes are browning too quickly.
Transfer cakes to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining cakes (no need to change the oil).
Serve the salmon cakes warm with tartar sauce and enjoy!
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